This invention relates to filled cookies. More particularly, this invention relates to filled cookies where upon heating in a microwave oven part of the filling contained in the cookie expands upwardly through the top of the cookie and spreads downwardly along the outside surfaces of the cookie.
The present cookie is a type of cookie which when baked has the appearance of a volcano erupting. What is occurring is that part of the filling within the cookie is expanding due to the energy being applied and is heated and flowing upwardly through openings or through a weakened area in the top of the cookie, and then flows downwardly along the cooler outside portion of the cookie. As the filling cools it increases in viscosity and the downward flow decreases. The end result is a cookie that was originally in the shape of a volcano and which now has part of the filling of the cookie distributed around the outside of the cookie. However, if it is not desired to heat the cookie and have part of the filling exude from the cookie, it can be consumed directly from the package.
The present cookies are unique in that they are shelf-stable at room temperature for extended periods of time. The biscuit portion of the cookie is fully baked with the consumer only heating the cookie in a microwave oven to have the filing flow out of the cookie and down the exterior surface. However the consumer will still get much of the taste and effect of fresh baked cookies. There is also the advantage that this is a very unique cookie. When the cookie is placed in the oven it is fully baked and contains both a flavored oil based filler and a flavored water based filler. The flavored water based filler is placed on the oil based filler and is the primary ingredient which expands upon the application of heat and exudes from the top of the cookie. However, there is a partial coating of the oil based filler on the inside of the cookie. While the water based filler in the cookie is expanding and flowing down the outside of the cookie the biscuit portion of the cookie is being warmed. After heating, the cookie is partially cooled prior to being consumed for the reason is that the oil based filler within the cookie and the remaining water based filler in the cookie remain at elevated temperatures with some cooling advisable before consumption.
In this cookie there must be a combination of an oil based filler and of a water based filler. If only a water based filler were to be used the cookie would not have as long a shelf life. It is also possible that too much of the water based filler would exude from the top of the cookie. It is also the case that an emulsion type of filler cannot be as effectively utilized. Again, the reason is that there could be an excessive exuding of the filler from the cookie. It is therefore necessary that there be a combination of an oil based filling and a water based filling. The oil based filling will remain in the cookie as a control of the amount that exudes on heating and will in addition contribute to the taste of the cookie. Since the water based filling is activated at a lower temperature than the oil based filling it will thus expand and flow from the cookie at a lower temperature. This latter factor is also important so that the cookies can be consumed fairly soon after baking.
There are various filled cookies in the market place. The most famous of the filled cookies is probably the sandwich cookie that is sold under the registered trademark OREO. These sandwich cookies have also been coated with various chocolate and fudge coatings. Consequently, at this point in time filled cookies of the sandwich type, and filled cookies of the sandwich type which are enrobed in a chocolate or fudge coating are known. However, these cookies are fully prepared by the manufacturer with no further steps of preparation remaining for the consumer. Further these cookies are consumed at room temperature.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,104,405 there is disclosed a food product which is comprised of an edible shell of cooked dough having an expanded confection extending around or bonded to the shell. The shell itself can be an ice cream cone. This expanded confection is preferably produced by molding the expanded confection in place on the edible shell. The molded section can contain marshmallow and hard candy bits. This molded section is expanded through the use of a partial vacuum. The partial vacuum causes included air and gases to expand and to impart an expanded confection layer to the upper surface of the shell.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,525,369 discloses a technique for expanding a food product by the rapid reduction of pressure on the food product. The food product to be expanded will have a water content of about 5 to 50% by weight. Upon heating and the rapid release of pressure the water expands as steam and causes the food product to expand. It is a rapid reduction of pressure that causes the food to expand and not merely a heating. Various food products can be expanded using this technique.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,596,713 discloses a method for preparing popcorn where the popcorn is coated with a flavorant which is contained in a separate packet during the popcorn cooking cycle. As the popcorn containing package is heated in a microwave oven the portion that contains the additive or flavorant becomes heated and the part of the package in which it is contained ruptures. Upon rupturing the additive or flavorant is coated onto the expanding popcorn. The mechanism here that is used in producing an expanded coated product is for a part of the package to rupture and to spread the flavorant or other additive.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,693,899 discloses a method for preparing a filled, cooked dough product. The composite consists of an uncooked, yeast leavened, sugar containing dough around a cooked freeze/thaw stable viscous filling comprised of food ingredients and a sauce therefor containing a water-binding carbohydrate. The product is reheated prior to consumption. The reheating comprises conventional oven heating either simultaneously with or following microwave heating. This heats the product, creates an outer crust and returns the frozen product to the appearance and texture of the freshly cooked product. In this patent there is disclosed a filled dough product where the dough will not get soggy and lose its texture. However, there is no expansion of the filler material. The filler material is thawed, but remains within the dough portion of the baked good.
In addition there are filled hard dough biscuits such as those that are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,613,508. In this patent there is disclosed the baking of a biscuit which upon baking will expand with a percentage of leavening in excess of 280. What is produced is a hollow hard biscuit. This hollow hard biscuit is then filled with a filling, such as a chocolate or chocolate cream filling, by means of needle injection. In needle injection a needle in the form of a hypodermic needle inserts the filling into the biscuit.
This patent puts several constraints on the type of dough that can be utilized in order to form the hard biscuit. It is stated that it is not desirable to use a cereal dough containing proportions of ingredients such as a cereal dough used for producing soda crackers or cream crackers. It is also stated that if a cereal dough is prepared with excess sugar, for example, as a cereal dough prepared by mixing 40 parts by weight of sugar, 15 parts by weight of oil or fat and 17 parts by weight of water with 100 parts by weight of wheat flour the resulting baked product will be hard and will give poor feeling during eating. In the instance where the cereal dough is prepared with an excess of oil or fat the resulting baked product will be crumbly, and thus susceptible to breaking-up during the step of the injection of the filler. If it is desired to decrease the amount of sugar and oil or fat and instead to increase the proportion of overall water in order to adjust the hardness of the cereal dough there will result a baked product which is also susceptable to breaking during the step of the injection of the filler. In this patent it is therefore prescribed to use from about 10 to 30 parts by weight of sugar, 10 to 25 parts by weight of oil or fat and 35 to 20 parts by weight of water per 100 parts by weight of cereal flour. This is the composition that is noted to produce biscuits which are sufficiently hard so that they can withstand the penetration of a filling needle without breaking.
However, even though this is a filled cookie in U.S. Pat. No. 4,613,508 it is a filled cookie that is purchased in a fully prepared condition. Also the filling remains within the biscuit. This is in contrast to the present invention wherein the filled cookie is heated in a microwave oven by the consumer so that the consumer can have the advantage of having the taste of hot fresh baked cookies.